Dear Editor,
I wish to state from the onset that I find the budget to be unacceptable and unrealistic in our current economic situation in the country. I think that the budget is too harsh and will only bring chaos to the nation and the people. In my opinion, it is very unfair for the Government to pursue raising revenue solely through taxation. I have felt the pulse and mood of the people as I travelled through the streets, market places and the various regions in Guyana only to discover that they are in a state of bewilderment and confusion. Most people right now are particularly interested in cursing down the Government of the day.
I, Roshan Khan, am not anti-Government; as a patriot and a principled individual in this country I like to see Guyana progress irrespective of who leads it. My system of voting is for principles, for offerings of opportunity to youth and for development policies.
I must be fair to the Government; I do not believe that they truly wish to provide confusion, pain and depression to the people. I think they cannot see the error by producing such a budget which will only cause destruction in our country as I see it. I was always an active listener to the Radio Demerara and the Voice of Guyana news. I was always hungry for the newspaper as I grew up. The Guyana graphic, the Ratoon, the Mirror and others were favourites of mine. I was always in touch with the politics of the nation as I still am, but I never got myself entangled in the political profession. That love comes from my desire to see Guyana advance to a level ahead of our expectations.
I recall later during the period of high school, the late Prime Minister, LFS Burnham had asked the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to exit the country and refused to further negotiate. He said: “The IMF prescription for further loans was a recipe for riots.” He then went on to say that the only thing the organisation didn’t want to tax was air. With that he went about preparing the people to grow all kinds of foods on their parapets and on their open lands, everyone was encouraged to become tillers. In the not too distant future, flour was banned. Today I think there was more to the banning of flour than what we know.
It would appear that the Government of the day has accepted the IMF prescription to tax everything in the country that provides joy and happiness to our people. And who knows, maybe they will soon charge us for the air that we breathe. To my opinion as laymen and political child, the Government has overdone it, the words used by some Ministers in Parliament are vexatious and shows inexperience.
Yours sincerely,
Roshan Khan
